This combination of file photos shows Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, speaking during a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Mich., Oct. 26, 2024, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, right, speaking during a campaign rally Oct. 22, 2024, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo)

NEW YORK (AP) — Uncertainty reigns entering the final full week of the 2024 campaign with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump locked in a fiercely competitive presidential contest. What happens in the coming days will be pivotal in deciding the winner.

Here’s what we’re watching this week:

Can Trump stay on message (relatively speaking)?

Even before the week began, Trump’s campaign risked being knocked off course by controversy. A rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden late Sunday that was meant to serve as a closing message was instead overshadowed by racist insults, including a comedian who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

And with eight days to go until Election Day, history suggests Trump is virtually guaranteed to say or do something else controversial in the final stretch. The only question is whether it will break through.

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that Trump cannot help himself. He’s been using authoritarian-style rhetoric in recent days to suggest that his Democratic opponents, whom he calls “ the enemy within,” are more dangerous to the nation than the threat posed by Russia and China.

Democrats will be combing through every Trump interview and public appearance for something similar to exploit. There are also multiple ongoing criminal investigations into Trump, who has already been convicted of 34 felony charges, that could reveal new information.

Yet Democrats are the first to admit that voter opinions of Trump is so hardened that it would take something truly stunning to change the course of the election.

There is precedent for a final-week stunner, however. Remember, it was Oct. 28, 2016, when former FBI Director James Comey sent a letter to Congress indicating that federal investigators learned of new emails pertinent to the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

Will Harris’ closing message harness Democrats’ anxiety?

It would be an understatement to describe Democrats as anxious as Election Day looms. But there was a deliberate effort by Harris’ senior team over the weekend to project optimism to help temper the fear.

Harris senior adviser Jen O’Malley Dillon predicted victory on MSNBC on Sunday: “We are confident we’re going to win this thing,” she said. “We’re seeing extraordinary enthusiasm. This is going to be a close race, and our campaign is exactly where we want to be.”

Harris will try to alleviate Democratic anxiety further on Tuesday when she delivers her “closing argument” at the Ellipse, the same spot near the White House where Trump spoke on Jan. 6, 2021 shortly before his supporters attacked the Capitol.

Harris is expected to focus her remarks on the danger Trump poses to U.S. democracy. She has called her Republican rival “a fascist” in recent days. And she’s been joined by an unlikely ally, Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly, who has also described Trump as a fascist recently.

But she’s expected to hit broader themes as well, encouraging voters to look behind her at the White House and imagine who will be sitting at the Resolute Desk at a moment of great consequence. She’s aiming to drive home the stakes of the Nov. 5 election for undecided voters — especially moderate Republicans who may be uncomfortable with Trump’s divisive leadership and extreme rhetoric. And while Harris’ team is betting that there is a significant number of moderates who can still be persuaded, progressive Democrats are worried she’s not focused enough on economic issues in the campaign’s closing days.

Democratic anxiety, we have learned, may be a fact of life.

Where will they go?

The candidates’ evolving travel schedules will tell us much about the battlegrounds that will matter most on Election Day.

Here’s what we know for sure: Harris and Trump are aggressively competing in just seven swing states that will ultimately decide the election. They are the three so-called “Blue Wall” states — Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — in addition to Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

For a political perspective, however, not every one of the seven is created equal.

Harris spent Sunday in Pennsylvania, which may be the election’s biggest prize. Harris is next scheduled to go to Michigan. And after Tuesday’s closing argument in Washington, she plans to visit North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on Wednesday alone. She heads to Nevada and Arizona on Thursday.

What do we know about Trump’s schedule? He’s booked to host at least one rally every day next week: Monday in Georgia, Tuesday in Pennsylvania, Wednesday in Wisconsin, Thursday in Nevada, Friday in Wisconsin again and Saturday in Virginia.

But as a reminder, these schedules are likely to change based on the campaigns’ intelligence on the ground.

Will the early voting surge continue?

More than 41 million votes have already been cast in the election nationwide. Democrats generally have an advantage in early voting, but so far, at least, Republicans are participating at a much higher rate than they have in the past.

The question: Will it last?

Trump, of course, has for years encouraged his supporters to cast only in-person ballots on Election Day. The practice put the GOP at a significant disadvantage. He largely reversed course in recent months as he and his party acknowledged the obvious benefit of being able to bank their votes as early as possible.

Because of the Republican participation, the early turnout was breaking records last week in swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina.

But with the GOP more focused on “election integrity” rather than a traditional get-out-the-vote operation, it’s unclear whether the uptick in Republican early voting will continue. Democrats hope it won’t.

How hard will Trump work to undermine election results?

History may one day decide that the most significant thing Trump said in the closing days of the 2024 election is the thing that many voters barely notice anymore: his persistent warnings that this election is rigged against him.

Indeed, as Election Day approaches, Trump is increasingly warning his supporters that he will lose on Nov. 5 only if his political opponents cheat. Such statements have no basis in fact. There was no evidence of significant voter fraud in the 2020 election, which Trump lost, and there is no evidence that Trump’s adversaries can or will rig this election against him either.

Still, Trump’s unfounded warnings make an already tense and violent election season even more fraught. And there are real threats that foreign adversaries — especially Russia, China and Iran — will meddle in the election.

At the same time, the Republican National Committee has invested tens of millions of dollars into an operation to mobilize thousands of polling place monitors, poll workers and attorneys to serve as “election integrity” watchdogs. Democrats are worried that the effort could lead to harassment of election workers and undermine trust in the vote.

Both parties are aggressively preparing for long legal battles no matter who wins.

Will wars in the Middle East shift the focus?

U.S. presidential elections are rarely shaped by foreign affairs, but the wars in the Middle East have been escalating at the very moment that millions of voters are preparing to cast ballots.

It’s still unclear how Iran will respond to Israel’s unusually public airstrikes across Iran on Friday but Israel did not target oil or nuclear sites, a sign that a much more serious escalation may have been avoided. In another indication that this conflict may not spiral out of control, the Islamic Republic insisted the strikes caused only “limited damage” and the messaging from Iranian state-run media downplayed the attacks.

If the region spirals further toward all-out regional war or holds steady at an already devastating and destabilizing level of violence could also determine the extent to which the Middle East conflict shapes the U.S. election.

The issue has been especially difficult for Harris to navigate as she simultaneously vows to support Israel and offers empathy for those tens of thousands of Palestinians killed by Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. The Democratic vice president continues to face intense pressure from her party’s progressive base, which has been extremely critical of Israel.

Union voters are split between Harris at 50% and Trump at 43%, with 6% supporting third-party candidates, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center. (Platoo Studio/Adobe Stock)
Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Connection

A Pennsylvania nonprofit is working to provide essential services to veterans and active-duty military personnel.

Pennsylvania is home to more than 700,000 military veterans.

Logan Spiewak, executive director of the Boots to Health Foundation in Mechanicsburg, said the group’s mission is to support local veterans with a holistic approach to help them enhance their physical, mental and spiritual health. The intake process starts with a comprehensive health assessment.

“Our program is three months long, consists of personal training, one-on-one personal training, small group training for veterans, and we give veterans custom meal plans as well,” Spiewak outlined. “Then we offer a weekly Bible study for veterans that are interested in that component as well. And the program is completely cost-free.”

He explained evaluating each person’s health, range of motion, flexibility and mobility helps them customize a program to address any physical limitations and nutritional needs. The goal is to build a strong relationship and provide ongoing support, even after the program ends.

Spiewak emphasized the importance of connecting veterans to resources, as many returning from service often face challenges. He noted some encounter mental and physical health issues, difficulty finding employment, and housing instability.

“We catch them when they come out of the military, to help these veterans,” Spiewak stressed. “We do serve some veterans that are going through drugs and alcohol addiction, and recovery and stuff like that. So we really meet these veterans where they’re at, personally.”

Pennsylvania also provides free resources to Veterans via the PA VETConnect program, which aims to help identify veterans’ needs and connect them to relevant resources.

(New Sewickley Township, Pa) On Sunday May 5, 2024, at approximately 1156 hours the New Sewickley Township  Police Department, the Pine Run Fire Department, the Big Knob Fire Department, and several  assisting fire departments were dispatched to a reported structure fire at 265 Pine Run Road in  New Sewickley Township. Upon arrival, emergency personnel found the second floor of the  residence on fire. A short time later, the property owner, Gregory G. Carubba arrived on scene  and advised investigators that he had been inside the residence shortly before the fire was  reported. Carubba, who does not live in the area and was not notified of the fire by  emergency personnel, advised investigators that no one was currently living in the residence.  Carubba also stated that he was the only person with access to the residence.    

Once the fire was extinguished, Assistant Fire Chief Michael Guraly of the Pine Run  Fire Department requested that the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshall respond to assist  the New Sewickley Township Police Department with the investigation into the cause of the  fire. After an extensive investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshall determined  

that the fire had been intentionally set. 

Within 2 days of the fire, Carubba filed an insurance claim with State Farm Insurance  Company. An independent investigation was conducted by State Farm Insurance Company,  which also determined that the fire inside the residence had been intentionally set.  

As a result of this lengthy investigation, Gregory G. Carubba has been charged by  Detective Samantha Vinson of the New Sewickley Township Police Department with  multiple counts of Arson, one count of Insurance Fraud, and one count of Criminal Attempt to  commit Theft by Deception. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday November  27, 2024, at 8:45am at the Beaver County Courthouse. 

This investigation demonstrates the importance of emergency responders from  multiple agencies working together toward a common goal. The New Sewickley Township  Police Department would like to thank the Pine Run Fire Department, the Big Knob Fire  Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshall for their assistance in this  investigation.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published October 29, 2024 7:57 A.M.

(Aliquippa, PA) The corner of Franklin Avenue and Main Street in Aliquippa will be busy providing to those in need Saturday as a Little Free Library clothing and food distribution is being held. Hats, coats, scarves, gloves, socks , and sweaters will be available. Non perishable food items for thanksgiving will also be available, according to Samantha Petrick, whose children that restored the Little Free Library, are in charge of the event. It will run from 12 noon until 4 p.m.

Pictured is a McDonald’s bag with an order for a Quarter Pounder sandwich purchased Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

From Boar’s Head deli meat and waffles to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, this year’s illness outbreaks — some deadly — and food recalls may have Americans wondering whether there are new risks in the U.S. food supply.

But experts say it’s business as usual when it comes to the complicated task of keeping food safe.

The U.S. ranks near the top for food safety out of 113 countries included in the Global Food Security Index, which measures aspects of food availability and quality, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

“The U.S. food supply remains one of the safest in the world,” FDA officials said in a statement.

People might be alarmed at the “number of really high-profile recalls that affect a lot of people,” said Teresa Murray, who directs the consumer watchdog office for the consumer-interest advocacy group PIRG.

“These are products that people eat on a regular basis,” she said.

On average, the two federal agencies that oversee the U.S. food supply — the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture — announce more than 300 food recalls and alerts each year. The FDA regulates about 80% of foods, including dairy products, fruit and vegetables, while the USDA regulates meat and poultry, among other foods.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annually tracks about 800 foodborne illness outbreaks, in which two or more people are sickened by the same food or drink. Most of the estimated 48 million cases of food poisoning each year are not related to confirmed outbreaks, the agency said.

The pace of food recalls and alerts appears to be brisk this year, with more than 300 logged already as of mid-October. But recalls are different than illness outbreaks, which are increasingly detected by sophisticated genetic sequencing, said Donald Schaffner, a food science expert at Rutgers University.

“I don’t think the food supply is getting less safe,” Schaffner said. “I think we’re stuck in place. We’re not getting any better.”

Federal data shows the U.S. has made little progress toward reducing rates of foodborne illness as called for in Healthy People 2030, an effort to boost population-level health and well-being.

The nation has budged only slightly since 2016-2018 in reducing infections caused by salmonella and listeria — the latter being the germ behind the deadly Boar’s Head outbreak, in which at least 10 people died and nearly 50 were hospitalized.

And there has been little or no progress in cutting infections caused by campylobacter or the type of toxin-producing E. colilinked to this week’s McDonald’s outbreak.

“People should be reminded that food safety is a serious public health issue. All food carries risk” said Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University. “We need to remember that most of our food comes from the ground or from animals.”

The landmark Food Safety Modernization Act, enacted in 2011, gave the FDA new authority to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested and processed. Under a rule finalized in 2022, which takes effect in 2026, suppliers will be required to keep records to trace fresh produce like the onions in the McDonald’s outbreak back to the source.

Such efforts alone can’t guarantee safety, Kowalcyk said. Testing, inspections, training and education can all reduce the chances that food becomes contaminated and potentially causes illnesses.

“In food safety, no mitigation or risk strategy is perfect,” she said. “You build in hurdles across the system and with the combination of the hurdles, you will catch the problem.”

Limited funding for public health agencies may erode those efforts, Kowalcyk noted.

On a recent call with food safety advocates and reporters, FDA chief Dr. Robert Califf said funding for the agency’s food safety duties has remained stagnant for years.

“It has kept up with the cost of living but nothing incrementally for three decades in an environment which is really complicated, if you look at the human food system,” Califf said.

People can cut their risk of foodborne illness by following safe handling practices, including avoiding cross-contamination of foods, proper storage and frequent handwashing and sanitizing surfaces and kitchen tools at home. Beyond that, they can put pressure on stores, restaurants and government officials to ensure food safety.

“You can reach out to your congressional representative and tell them food safety is important to you,” Kowalcyk said. “You can also contact food companies. If you see something, say something.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The good news: You will get a glorious extra hour of sleep. The bad: It’ll be dark as a pocket by late afternoon for the next few months in the U.S.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time next Sunday, Nov. 3, which means you should set your clock back an hour before you go to bed. Standard time will last until March 9 when we will again “spring forward” with the return of daylight saving time.

That spring time change can be tougher on your body. Darker mornings and lighter evenings can knock your internal body clock out of whack, making it harder to fall asleep on time for weeks or longer. Studies have even found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March time change.

“Fall back” should be easier. But it still may take a while to adjust your sleep habits, not to mention the downsides of leaving work in the dark or trying exercise while there’s still enough light. Some people with seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression usually linked to the shorter days and less sunlight of fall and winter, may struggle, too.

Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology.

Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do — mostly in Europe and North America — the date that clocks are changed varies.

Two states — Arizona and Hawaii — don’t change and stay on standard time.

Here’s what to know about the twice yearly ritual.

How the body reacts to light

The brain has a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness. This circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we’re more alert. The patterns change with age, one reason that early-to-rise youngsters evolve into hard-to-wake teens.

Morning light resets the rhythm. By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness. Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.

And that circadian clock affects more than sleep, also influencing things like heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and metabolism.

How do time changes affect sleep?

Even an hour change on the clock can throw off sleep schedules — because even though the clocks change, work and school start times stay the same.

That’s a problem because so many people are already sleep deprived. About 1 in 3 U.S. adults sleep less than the recommended seven-plus hours nightly, and more than half of U.S. teens don’t get the recommended eight-plus hours on weeknights.

Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems.

How to prepare for the time change

Some people try to prepare for a time change jolt by changing their bed times little by little in the days before the change. There are ways to ease the adjustment, including getting more sunshine to help reset your circadian rhythm for healthful sleep.

Will the U.S. ever get rid of the time change?

Lawmakers occasionally propose getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act, proposes making daylight saving time permanent. Health experts say the lawmakers have it backward — standard time should be made permanent.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday marked the sixth anniversary of a gunman’s deadly attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue and called out what he called an “appalling surge of antisemitism” amid the war in Gaza.

The 2018 attack claimed the lives of 11 worshippers from Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life congregations, which shared space in the synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Two worshippers and five responding police officers were also injured in the attack, the deadliest act of antisemitism in U.S. history.

Biden said in a statement that the attack “shattered families, pierced the heart of the Jewish community, and struck the soul of our nation.” But he said that in the years since, the Jewish community “has also shown the country how to courageously turn pain into purpose” launching “a global initiative to counter hate and hate-fueled violence.”

Biden noted that the remembrance of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack comes weeks after the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack in Israel “during which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people, took another 250 hostage and committed horrific acts of sexual assault.”

He said the trauma and losses of Oct. 7 are made worse by “the appalling surge of antisemitism against Jews in America and around the world.”

The attack sparked a war between Israel and the militant group Hamas and has resulted in widespread destruction and civilian deaths in Gaza.

Biden said his administration was implementing a national strategy to counter antisemitism, including securing $1.2 billion for security of nonprofits such as synagogues and Jewish community centers and day schools. He also cited the Justice Department’s investigation and prosecution of antisemitic hate crimes and said his administration had “put colleges on notice that antisemitism is discrimination” and barred under laws protecting civil rights.

Vice President Kamala Harris also cited a rise in antisemitism in a statement marking the anniversary of the Pittsburgh attack.

“I will always work to ensure the safety and security of Jewish people in the United States and around the world, and will always call out antisemitism whenever and wherever we see it,” she said.

The Pittsburgh attacker was sentenced to death last year after being convicted on 63 counts, including hate crimes resulting in death.

In June, ground was broken for a new complex on the Pittsburgh site that is to include a cultural center, sanctuary, educational center and museum along with a memorial to the slain worshipers from three congregations.

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This story has been corrected to show that anniversary is Sunday.

Union voters are split between Harris at 50% and Trump at 43%, with 6% supporting third-party candidates, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center. (Platoo Studio/Adobe Stock)
Danielle Smith – Keystone State News Connection

Labor unions in the battleground state of Pennsylvania said they could play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of this year’s election.

In 2023, the state had 749,000 union members, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Anthony Ferriera, sergeant at arms and legislative political coordinator for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1647, is among those mobilizing. He said he is walking neighborhoods, knocking on doors and talking with voters in an effort to motivate them to go to the polls.

“This year, I’m making phone calls,” Ferriera explained. “And anywhere that any of the congressionals or senators or anybody is, we’re at the rallies. We were at the rally for Kamala in Wilkes Barre, probably a month ago. We have people on our team that were driving folks that come into the area last Saturday to knock on doors.”

Ferriera pointed out their response has been positive, even when some do not support their candidates. Pennsylvania’s early voting option is available until Oct. 29, the last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.

Kevin Cooper, political director for the union, said the President and Congress have a direct effect on their livelihoods. He added the union is diverse not only in terms of geography and demographics, but its members work in agencies from Social Security and Veterans Affairs, to the Border Patrol and Environmental Protection Agency. Cooper stressed he is encouraging everyone to vote, particularly his fellow union members.

“In the 2016 cycle, for example, we saw all these states that were determined by thousands of votes; not millions but certain battleground states where thousands of votes determined the result,” Cooper pointed out. “You step back and you see that there’s, you know, over 14 million union members nationwide. Unions can be the deciding factor in a lot of these places.”

Cooper suggested people review the Heritage Foundation’s conservative playbook known as Project 2025, as it includes plans to dismantle workers’ rights to organize.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing inspection activities on the Pinney Street Bridge over Route 65 in Baden Borough, Beaver County will occur Monday through Wednesday, October 28-30 weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions will occur in each direction on Route 65 between Johnson Avenue and State Street for bridge inspection activities.  Restrictions will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Crews from AECOM will conduct the routine inspection activities.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding invited Pennsylvania singers to enter “Oh, Say, Can You Sing?”, an annual star-spangled sing-off to win a chance to sing live at the 2025 PA Farm Show — the Pennsylvania State Fair™. Each morning, from January 4-11, the Farm Show will start by featuring an individual or group singing the national anthem live. Top vote-getters may also be selected to sing at special events such as the Opening Ceremony on January 4.

 

“Our 2025 Farm Show theme is Powering Pennsylvania,” Secretary Redding said. “There’s no better way to start each day of the PA Farm Show than by hearing a powerful reminder of the pride and freedom that make our country, our commonwealth, and our agriculture industry great.”

 

The contest is open to Pennsylvania residents of all ages – both individuals and groups. Contestants can enter by emailing a YouTube link to a video of themselves singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” without instrumental accompaniment, to agcontests@pa.gov or by uploading their video or YouTube link to the comments of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Facebook page posts about the contest.

 

Entries can be submitted until 11:59 p.m. November 17, 2024.